Thursday, December 04, 2008

I am Too Trusting.

So, as I was thinking about what to post about this morning, a "Java update" came onto my computer, and prompted me to proceed.

I have no idea what Java is. I know it's coffee in the "non" computer world, but in computer lingo, I'm lost. I only have the vaguest of ideas what Java does. Yet, I pushed "proceed" and installed the update.

Scary. Seriously. The next generation of hackers will probably think of something creepy like that, for Luddites like me. They'll cleverly disguise a program update (say, for "Java") and in actuality I'll be downloading a program that records my keystrokes and sends them back to the hackers/thieves. And I wouldn't even know, because I am so trusting, when it comes to software upgrades/updates.

SCARY.

Thing One is bugging me. Like a fool, I let her read the first book in the "Twilight" series. But ONLY the first book. I think the ensuing books are just a little sexually mature, for her eleven years. But now she's BEGGING me, every moment she can, to let her read New Moon. (The second book.) Apparently, SHE'S the one who got all her tween friends into Twilight, they all went and saw the movie (she hasn't, because Hubby doesn't like the subject material) and she has a mean, cruel mother, who won't let her read past book one, when all her friends are apparently greedily gobbling up the second book...as I type this.

I'm a mean mom. Cruel, I know. I gobbled up those books myself in about a week. But the main core of the story is a love story between a Human and a Vampire. And frankly, the Human is a Horny Human and is always trying to "get" with the vampire. Not exactly the fare I want my little girl reading. I told her when she's 14, she can read the other novels...maybe.

She probably hates me. She said if she saw the book in the library she'd check it out and read it behind my back. I told her I would be disappointed in her, and not trust her any more if she did that. She apologized.

She's a good girl, and I do trust her, but I am smacking myself in the head for even introducing her to the world of Twilight. Even my own MOTHER is obsessed (sorry Mom, but you subscribe to the Twilight Moms Website--that is pretty obsessive). It is very "Obsession-worthy," I'm the first to admit.

I, however, have chosen not to be obsessed. I have read all the books only once, and frankly, I skimmed through a fair amount of the last book--unfortunately Ms. Meyer lost me as a reader after she went against her own canon in the beginning of the book...and therefore I'm safe from "Twilight Obsession."

Yet my daughter, who is now "in love" with Edward Cullen, is not. Tedious. Very tedious. I'll have to be very very careful with this one. There's nothing as formidable as Tween Angst. ;-)

Time to run and get some birthday presents! My sweet seven-year old boy (Thing Three) will be turning eight tomorrow, and I still can't believe it. Time flies!

Java's actually a useful system, but I'm getting sick of being told an update is available every time I start the computer, and ignore it.

I have not read the TWILIGHT books. I might, at some point, but there's too much hype. And I'm skipping the movie -- every clip I've seen has some of the worst, scenery-chewing acting I've ever seen in my life. I don't think I could stand it. And the two leads work my last nerve.

We never had reading restrictions in our house, but we discussed everything that was read, and my parents were very clear when the content of the book contradicted their beliefs and why.